Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Cappadocia and Fairy Chimneys

Since we are all recovering from our Irish blow out that lasted the past few days, Aunty thought she'd relax and share a few last pictures of her jaunt to Turkey.

One of the areas that we found the most fascinating was the region in central Turkey called Cappadocia. I've already talked a bit about this area between two long extinct volcanoes in my post about the underground cities.

But another really unique aspect of Cappadocia is something they call "Fairy Chimneys." The soft layers of rock called tufa, were covered by much harder layers of stone.

Through the process of erosion (mostly by the wind) unique formations resulted. Columns of the softer, lighter colored rock were topped by darker layers of harder rock. These gigantic formations sometimes look like mushrooms.

Sometimes, as you can see happening in this photo on the right, the column under the harder layer of rock disolves completely, and the top falls off!

Sometimes, like with the underground cities, people carve out storage rooms or dove cotes in the columns of softer rock.

At one location where several of the rock columns were close together like this, the carved rooms were actually used as a police station!

This was such a fascinating place and went on for many many miles! It took our guided tour the better part of two days to drive through Cappadocia, and that was only because we didn't stop for photos the second day.

Everyone in the Lair knows how much yer olde Aunty loves to travel. And I have been to some very wonderful places and seen some amazing sights. But the Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia were truly unique! I almost felt like I was on another planet. I wouldn't have been a bit surprised to go into one of those hollowed out columns and find myself in an interplanetary bar like the one in Star Wars!

What about you? Have you ever been someplace that felt like it could have been on another planet? Or what kind of creatures do you envision living in these Fairy Chimneys? Does Aunty need to trade in her crop for a blaster?

Maybe you have some tamer travel suggestions for yer olde Aunty. Please share!

Hey, in Australia, we have a whole day to recover from St Paddy's before you guys. So I suppose my snaffling the rooster was a bit of a cheat! He's nodding his head, the cheeky chook!

Great post, AC. Love the photos! I do envy your travel experiences. Turkey is somewhere I'd love to visit one day. It's funny - I've just been watching a series with Michael Palin where he goes to visit the fairy chimneys. He stayed in a hotel carved out of the rock which looked fantastic.

Actually I've been a few places that felt quite alien to me. One was the mini desert outside Port Stephens in NSW, just north of Sydney. Sand dunes have blown inland and it's very like the desert planet in Star Wars. They even run camel riding treks across it. Another is eastern Spain where they shot a lot of spaghetti westerns. It's so dry and inhospitable and red - looks rather like photos I've seen of Mars. Very atmospheric, though.

Yes, Fo, the actually had some hotels carved into the rocks. One was called The Flintstones Hotel! But we didn't stay in one because our guide said the plumbing and electricity were not very good. Er, um... NO thank you!

I was actually surprised at how much parts of Turkey resembled California. The climate is very similar. And SOME tourists do think that San Francisco seems like another planet!

My two oldest nieces thought so the first time I took them there. They were 13 and 11 at the time and quite sheltered. Of course, the first thing we saw was a man wearing a denim skirt, cowboy boots and not much else! THEN we went to Chinatown... Let's just say I lost count of how many times I warned them "Don't tell your mother!" :-P

My dd and I were considering Turkey when we were planning our homeschool trip, but ended up chosing Ireland instead. Turkey is definitely on my short list, though.

Cappadocia, sounds so exotic, the pictures of the fairy chimneys are just incredible. I'd love to see them up close and personal!

I don't think I've been anywhere that seems alien, although the mountains in Colorado were pretty impressive to this east coast gal. Wisconsin Dells was cool, too, if I remember correctly. It's been awhile. Someday, I'll have lots of answers to your question. :)

Well done Anna he may be a bit hyped from the Tim Tams yesterday so watch him closely.

I love those chinmeys Aunty Cindy I envy you and your travels I really haven't travelled much at all I haven't been to every state in Australia but I have been on a cruise and that was fantastic one of the islands we visited was called Mystery Island and it is really small beautiful beach all the way around and grassy mounds in the centre it didn't feel out of this world but it just felt so relaxing there it was a total peaceful feeling arriving there on the small boats from the big boat.

AC, your travels are a balm to my itchy feet. I long to travel and simply can't at this point in life. Well, not outside conferences and places in my comfort zone, anyway. Getting to see your pictures and hear you tell about your marvelous journeys is a gift.

That said, I haven't been anywhere that felt very other-worldly. The closest I came was in Switzerland. We were deep in the Alps where there are ski resorts nestled in the mountains, but we were there in June. It looked so much like a postcard or a film of a set that was supposed to be Switzerland that it was a bit surreal. Heidi would not have been out of place!

The day we went to one ski resort for a picnic, the rolling green fields were covered with wildflowers. Along the gravel path that ran between the mountaintops came a wedding party in traditional Swiss costume. Men in formal black lederhosen and embroidered jackets is a sight to see! That was like walking onto a movie set. *sigh* I loved it there!

Oh, and AC, Turkey is on my list of Places I Must See. As is Venice. And Austria. And Tuscany. And the whole of the UK. Oh, fine...all of Europe from west to east! I would also like to take a luxury train ride across India. *sigh*

Aunt Cindy - You need to do a travel book so I can get it to use for ideas. What an interesting place. The first time I saw a place that looked like another planet was on my honeymoon when we were flying from beautiful Maui to Kona (Hawaii). As we're landing over a lava field in Kona I'm apologizing to my husband for making this stop. It looked like the moon. Then we got out of the airport and it was very nice, but my thought on landing was - why would anyone come here for a vacation?

Good morning, Auntie Cindy! What wonderful pictures! I love to hear about your travels. As a stay at home mom to two little ones, I dream about the day I can start travelling again with my DH, sans diaper bag, endless snacks & sippy cups.

The one place I can think of that felt utterly alien was Bryce Canyon. I wish I were more ambitious, because I'd stick in a link to the pictures here but I'm not, so I'll just tell you it was like some kind of elaborate, sun-drenched moonscape, if that makes any sense at all. All warm red rock & intricate spires, like a doll house or a fairy land, only for giants. It was gorgeous. Highly recommended if you're ever in the neighborhood of the Grand Canyon.

Aha ! That cheeky bird just wanted to spend another day in your arms, La Campbell!

Gorgeous photos, Aunty C ! Those fairy chimneys are amazing. I would love to visit Turkey. When my Dad got his orders to go to England the other place they offered was Turkey. My Mom decided on England because she THOUGHT the English spoke the same language. The small town girl from Alabama found out it just isn't so!

Stonehenge, hands down. The vibe there is other worldly - like it is the only place in the world when you are there. Another place is Loch Ness. We camped out there in March and it was just so isolated and lonely beautiful.

I really want to visit Turkey and Egypt and Israel and of course AUSTRALIA !!

Great post, AC - never been to that part of Turkey - looks fascinating.

Congrats Fo - bet the GR enjoys his world travels.

There are so many magical places, and I've been lucky enough to be able to travel a lot. The most awe-inspiring and beautiful, and other-worldly was the Arches National Park in Utah. Unbelievable. For me, tops the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Glacier Bay - though I have to say they all fit the bill too.

Iceland is another place that is other-worldly. All those lava fields!

One of my ambitions is still to travel to Lapland to see Santa *g*. I wish I could afford the Antarctic trip to see the penguins, but I can't. Maybe Ill make Macchu Picchu someday too.

Louisa - I agree with you about Loch Ness! Dartmoor, in the south-west of England has a strange atmosphere - especially at night, and if you're near the famous prison! I hated driving Dartmoor at night - all those scary stories would flit through my head *shiver*

Thank goodness I'm not the only one whose brain went there. *high 5s Suzanne*

I love when you share your pictures and your stories of the world. I've done very little travel, but I know I'll be seeing the world eventually. That's the plan, anyway. Probably the best trip I've ever taken was a Caribbean cruise back in the 80s. Jamaica and Grand Caymen were incredible. But I was only 16 so I really want to go again when I can really appreciate it. And enjoy it as, you know, a grown up. :)

Yeah, I've been someplace that seemed like an alien landscape. Oman. Apparently the whole place is essentially a giant coral reef exposed by the receding gulf. The ground was sharp. Everything was jagged shards of coral. It cut your boots. It cut up the tires on the Humvees. It cut you. Your ankles twisted and ground when you walked on it. And it extended forever in every direction.

Aunty, I'm not sure I've been anywhere as strange as the places you've been. I love your travel blogs though. I have been in a number of caves--Mammoth Cave is not far from where I am, and if you go on the right tours, you'd think you were in another world for certain. I've been under water in a rock quarry, where there was an old submerged rock crusher. We had to go inside it as part of the dive rescue training. Can I just say....if I'm under water I want...REALLY WANT...a clear path to the surface. Cave diving is not for me. No. Not.

It was weird though...kind of surreal being in a BUILDING under water. There were school buses and cars and a helicopter--they'd sunk all of that in the quarry. The water was quite clear (and quite cold --have I ever said how much I hate to be cold, especially when I'm learning something, like how to relax and freakin BREATHE under water?)

Lessee...I've been through the Badlands, and that was otheworldly--I think because it just went on and on and on.

Hi AC - Love the fairy chimneys. When the blog first loaded, I thought these were castle turrets, carved out of stone -- not eroded out of stone (smile).

The "best" alien place for me is one close to home. Perhaps that's why it felt so other-worldly because it was totally unexpected. I'm speaking of the sand dunes in Michigan. Ohio is green - lots and lots of green - trees, grass, shrubs. There is the occasional lake with an occasional sandy beach -- but the beaches are flat and usually narrow. Michigan is similar, but then - all of a sudden - you stumble across the sand dunes - mountains, it seems. Huge, huge piles of sand and you can easily imagine you've been transported to the Sahara (except for that pesky Lake Michigan near the base).

It's been several years since we've been there, but I remember the shock and awe.

The first time I visited Wales, I felt as if I'd traveled back in time. My husband and I were standing by a tiny, outhouse-sized chapel in St. David's on a sunny afternoon, when all of a sudden a wall of fog rolled in and surrounded us. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.

Later, we visited the valley near Dolgellau (pronounced dal-geth-lee), and were commenting to each other that it felt as if we'd gone back a couple hundred years in time. Literally seconds later, a formation of Red Arrows, the British version of Top Gun, came out of nowhere, zooming over our heads. It was unreal.

I'd love to go back to Wales. Besides that country, my favorite places to visit were Kauai and Banff.

Lara,I think you and your daughter would really enjoy a trip to Turkey. Even if you don't make it to Cappadocia (which is fairly remote) the west coast of the country is LOADED with wonderful historical sites... Troy, Ephesus, Pergamon...

Honestly, the country is so FULL of history! That was one of the things that made it a "must see" for me.

Helen,You know how much I LURVE cruises! Mystery Island sounds like fun. You could imagine yourself in the novels Crusoe or Swiss Family Robinson, or any other story about being stranded on an island... complete with hunky cabana boys of course!

I'm guessing that Uluru in central Australia feels other-worldly. It certainly looks that way from pictures. It is on my short list of places I MUST see!

Posh,Switzerland in Spring sounds like a fairy tale! Too bad the one time I was there was in the Fall, but it was still awesome. Driving through the Alps, I really felt like they were the bones of some gigantic ancient creature!

And I heartily recommend ANY place in Italy! Though the only place I felt not quite in this world was in the ruins of Pompeii. That was a very spooky place. Loaded with Tawny's woo woo. ;-)

Dianna,I've flown into the airport at Kona and you're right, it DOES feel like the moon... stark, jagged. Except it was HOT and I keep reading that the moon is cold, so maybe this was one of Mars' moons??? Or Jupiter's.

Congrats VA,You've been to lots of places Aunty has not! Can't believe I haven't made it to Arches Nat'l Park. I've been CLOSE, but no cigar! And Iceland looks FANTASTIC! All that volcanic activity must make for some very other-worldly landscapes!

Unfortunately, my doctor has warned me away from the altitude at Macchu Picchu. :-( But you and I will definitely have to book our Antarctic cruise to see PENGUINS!!!

P226,I didn't know that Oman was an old coral reef. Talk about out-of-this world! After seeing the houses in Hawaii made of coral blocks, and some of the areas with the coral very close to the surface, I can't imagine trying to walk in Oman.

You've definitely found a place Aunty has not been and would be a great setting for a fantasy novel.

My BFF Sharen grew up in Michigan and she has mentioned seeing them as a kid long before she ever saw the ocean.

Sometimes places close to home can cause the most shock and awe... Well, because they ARE right in our backyards. That's how I feel about Mono Lake here in California. It's a large, landlocked lake with these strange salt formations that look like something out of Dr. Seuss! I could definitely see Han Solo and Greedo having a shoot out at Mono Lake. :-)

I thought riding into Petra, in Jordan, on horses and looking at the rock architecture was very interesting. Petra creates a sort of natural fortress because the entrance is this narrow ride through the gorge and enemies could easily be seen. Plus the sights are amazing. I think Petra's been added as another wonder of the ancient world.

I've never been anywhere that felt alien. Of course, that could be because we tend to pick places where English is the dominant language.

One of the most interesting and unusual places I've been was Ness Beach in England. The sand is dark red, and the seashells are beautiful indigo blue. Which did seem a little alien, now that I think about it. Access to the beach is via an old smuggler's tunnel, now lined in concrete and with lighting, then by steps down to the sand. When the tide is high, the waves slap the tunnel mouth.

I have to agree with Suzanne -- when I saw the pictures on this post, my first thought had nothing to do with fairies. Maybe it's because I was just reading a book in Vicki Lewis Thompson's series, the one that is set in Big Knob, Indiana!

Maybe one of these days when I get tired of writing romantic suspense (can't IMAGINE when that will be), I'll go through all my photos and do a travel book. At least I know I'll sell a few copies to the Banditas and BBs. ;-)

Hi Helen! I just saw where Qantas is offering really inexpensive flights between San Francisco and Sydney! If only I didn't have this pesky deadline (and NO cash)... We could have such a fun time seeing Uluru together!

Every hear of the Bay of Fundy? They have the highest tides in the world. At low tide you wade through mud around these columns about as tall as the Fairy Chimneys with grass and a few little trees growing on top. At high tide those trees are on tiny little islands! It's amazing!

Hi, AC! Gorgeous photos! I haven't been too many places that might be other-worldly--some of the formations in Bryce and Zion are pretty cool... And some of the formations by Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain) and these caverns (but I'm totally blanking on where these are)...

BTW, just finished Wild Sight--hooboy, can you tell a story! When's your next book coming out?

My next book is scheduled for release on Sept. 1st and is actually the first romantic suspense I wrote, and finalled in the GH, thus allowing me to be a part of all this! Can you tell this story has a very special place in my heart?

The new title is "The Treasures of Venice" and as soon as I get a cover, I'll be posting it here in the Lair.

Hey, the Rooster and I have been walking hand in hand (um, wing in hand?) along the beach, drinking pina colladas and getting caught in the rain! I've told him however that there will be no makin' love at midnight and he's now planning his escape.

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